Aaron's POV

It's been a week since I last saw her, I asked Mr. Wilson if I could take few days off since I had so many assignments piled up and exams were hanging just above my head. I didn't want to make it any more messy.

"Where are you lost?" Lizzy calls out for me as she snaps her fingers in front of my face.

"Nothing, just wondering few things. When are you parents coming back home?" I ask, motioning to the empty house. Unlike my parents, who stay out mostly on weekends, Lizzy's parents are barely ever home. She doesn't have any siblings, so she mostly either comes over at my place or stays alone, calling over Ashley usually.

"No idea, probably on the weekend but let's see. They always cancel on the last minute." She says and I nod.

Her father's business demands a lot of travels and though I don't blame them, I'd like them to pay a little more attention to their daughter. She cannot travel with them, she's taking her journalist degree from Columbia, I have no idea how she got in there, but considering that she's a nerd, I never have doubted her once.

"How are things between Derek and you?" She asks, picking at her nail and I swat away her hand, frowning at her.

"Don't pick on your nails, Liz! And things are rough, I haven't talked to him since he announced that shit. But, it's better than arguing with him." I say.

"Have you talked to Diana since then?" She questions and I immediately shoot away my eyes.

I clear my throat as I look at her, "Nope! It was too unrealistic to be friends with her."

She smiles at my words, and though it sort of unnerves me, I don't question it. I know she isn't fond of Diana, she never has been so I accept her opinions without any judgement. I remember Diana telling me that she's done with Derek, so it's a relief that I wouldn't have to encounter her anywhere except the office, where it isn't so difficult ignoring her unless she's just staring at my back from the hallway, burning holes through it. Although, it was a task to come home and explain Lizzy that there's nothing going on between the two of us. She immediately quoted Diana's words and asked why did she have to back off? I just told her that she had nothing to be worried about since Diana and I aren't friends anymore and that was enough to lift up her mood.

I would be lying if I say that I haven't thought about her, I have and now I'm just getting used to the fact that I was stupid to even think that I had any sort of feelings for her, I didn't and I like to be aware of that.

"I'm going to head out now, you can come at my place if you want. I don't want you to hang out alone, you can bring few notes since I'll be studying myself." I inform her, standing up and she nods.

She rushes to her room and comes out with few of her books and we leave her house, telling her maid that she'll be coming back only for dinner. We talk about her college life and how a guy approached her last week but she refused him since she isn't into dating. I raise my eyebrow at her, and she punches my arm.

"Since when are you not into dating?" I laugh when we step inside the house and she gives me an amused smile.

She opens her mouth to say something but immediately closes it when she hears a laugh coming from the living room. That sound! My eyes immediately shoot towards the room and I see Derek along with Diana and their other friends. Isn't she supposed to be somewhere and what, don't this people have some useful shit to do on sunday afternoon, like probably sleep?

Lizzy shuts the door behind her, catching everyone's attention and Diana's eyes linger towards me for a second before she looks away. Did she just ignore me? I notice the beer bottles on the table and shots glasses along with a bottle of vodka.

"Oh look, it's my lovely brother! Come join, you too the sweetest Lizzy." Derek starts, his tone a little slurred and that's enough for me to know that he's drunk.

Diana glares at Derek but then her gaze falls on me and Lizzy chooses that exact moment to hold my hand. Her eyes falls down on my interlinked hands with my best friend and just like before, she looks away and takes a sip from her cup.

"Aww, were you guys planning on a study date?" Derek taunts, looking down at Lizzy's books and everyone chuckles.

He's about to get up when Diana keeps her hand on his knee and leans down to whisper something in his ear. Her actions make me feel the strange emotion I felt when I saw her with Daniel. What the fuck? I thought there were no emotions involved anymore when it came to her. My utter surprise is when my brother actually calms down a little and looks away.

"You're mean when you're drunk." I hear someone say and when I follow the source of the sound, my eyes fall on the person right beside me.

I gape at Lizzy, almost requesting her to keep her mouth shut and not create a drama in front of his friends but apparently, Diana finds something hilarious in the situation and chuckles.

"Oh my sweetheart, and when is he not mean? Enlighten us, please." She smirks, looking at Lizzy.

This is the first thing she has said in my presence, and though Lizzy looks like she's about to cry, my eyes are fixed on Diana who looks like she's on some undiscoverable mission.

"Oh, did I miss something here?" She clicks her tongue and looks at Derek and then again at Lizzy, an unnerving smirk there on her face, "Have you two buddies been hanging out?"

I'm about to raise my voice but my eyes fall on Lizzy and she immediately looks down on her toes. What? She does that when she's embarrassed of something or lying.

"That's not true." I say, despite what I just witnessed.

Diana's eyes falls on me, her soft and playful gaze turning into a glare as she looks at me. "I don't remember talking to you!" She snaps and I'm immediately taken aback by her words.

Her words make Shane chuckle and she gives him a look. Her tone was harsher than she has ever used with me and that immediately hurts me. Why do I feel like a fucking teenager when she's around?

"I don't remember people asking for your permission before they can hang out." I shoot back and Lizzy tightens her grip on my hand.

I snap away my hand from her grip, how can she hang out with Derek and not tell me? Her tears which she was holding back earlier are now rolling down her cheeks and I immediately feel guilty for dragging her into this mess but I don't console her. She still lied to me! There's a look of pleasure on Diana's face when I do that and I look at my brother, who's just pretty much enjoying the drama, along with everyone else.

She hasn't snapped back at me yet, I don't expect her to and I'm glad. I cannot fight with her, not in front of every one at least where I know she can throw anything in my face that will have an affect on me.

"You should go back home, or maybe, join them." I tell Lizzy before rushing upstairs and she calls out for me but I ignore her.

After few seconds I hear the front door getting shut and that's enough for me to know that she left. She has disappointed me beyond I can accept it. I'm not supposed to judge her, but why could she possibly be hanging out with Derek out of all people? I'm in no position to question that considering the past events with Diana but she could have at least told me!

I really feel like punching someone in the face! It reminds me of the time I punched Ethan after I found Diana crying and she passed out. That's the worst state I've ever seen her in. She just didn't look like herself back then, her tear stained cheeks are fresh in memory and that was enough to trigger my anger. It isn't like that bastard didn't deserve it! The memory of Mr. Wilson mentioning something about her panic attacks always puts me off drastically.

Diana Rose is a mystery!

Just as I'm about to calm myself down a little, my door is pushed open and I look up with a scowl at Derek entering the room. His eyes are glazing with rage and I know he's in here for a fight.

"Where are your friends?" I ask, looking behind him.

"They left to celebrate Georgia's birthday elsewhere. It's time to have a conversation one to one, brother!" He hisses the last words and I get up from the bed.

"Conversation or fight, Derek? I'm sick of your drama, you need to back off a little." I say when he steps closer.

"Huh? I need to back off! I won't, what will you do, big boy?" He says, giving a little push to my chest, making my step falter.

His breath reeks of alcohol and I know this isn't going to go well. He won't calm down unless he makes sure that I'm hurt and I won't let him walk over me again!

"I don't know brother, probably won't throw your adoption on your face!" I yell at him and he clenches his jaw.

"Ever since you stepped in this family, you have made my life nightmare! My ears fucking bleed at the mention of your name and your fucked up achievements. What the hell are you doing in my home, fucker? Leave my parents and me alone and don't fucking come back!" He pushes my shoulder again.

His words make the rage trigger again as I step towards him and look directly into his eyes, he's taller by an inch or two, but that's just it.

"Your parents? The one who treat you like shit and praise me every fucking second of their life, huh?" I say with a smirk.

He raises his hand and just then I hear a shrieking voice, "Derek!"

I look over at door, hoping that it would direct his attention as well, but it's too late! His fist connects with my jaw and I stumble back. The rusty taste of blood fills my mouth and I look up at him after touching my already swollen lip. Before I know what I'm doing, I punch him back and he barely falters.

He's about to come on me again when a figure comes to stand in front of me, "Don't you fucking dare!" Diana growls at him and he glares at her with his fist right there and his jaw clenched!

"What the fuck is wrong with both of you? I told you to stay downstairs before we could leave together and you come up here and do this?" She yells at Derek who turns his eyes on me.

"You need to leave this alone, Diana! This isn't your shit, get the fuck away." He shouts back.

"Yes, this isn't my shit but you should have thought about that before revealing every fucking detail of your life to me after we fucked, every time!" She spits back and his eyes snap at her.

I know that immediately his anger has now been directed to her instead of me, the way he's glaring down at her says enough. She doesn't falter even once under his gaze, standing her ground.

"I fucking trusted you!" He roughly takes ahold of her wrist, almost twisting it under his grip, making her flinch.

"Yes Derek, and I finally started considering you a fucking friend when you called and apologised! But I won't stand here and see you kill your brother just because things don't work out your way!" She shoots back, struggling to get rid of his grip.

Why the hell is she standing in front of me and saying those things to him in my defence? I see the look of disgust on her face when Derek tightens his grip and that's it! I've had enough of his shit.

"Leave her!" I step forward and he looks at me.

He smirks a little, "What are you both, protecting each other against me? A fucking couple?"

"Oh, no one needs protection from you except yourself!" Diana pushes at his chest from her free hand which makes him take a hold of both her wrists.

"I said fucking leave her Derek, you're hurting her! This is between the two of us." I growl and he studies my face for a second before letting go of her, almost pushing her back and she stumbles.

Almost instinctively, I wrap my arm around her waist and I'm glad when she doesn't step away. Derek looks down at both of us with a glint in his eyes before leaving us alone and slamming the door loudly behind himself.

"And you!" Diana turns to me as soon as he leaves, slipping out of my embrace, "I thought you were the sensible one! What the fuck was that?" She shouts at me and I'm taken aback by her loud tone directed towards me.

"I-"

"No, Aaron, you actually need to understand what Derek has gone through rather than triggering him! It isn't easy to grow up in a house where no one knows your value." She snaps at me.

But, her words make more sense than she ever has. The only reason Derek punched me today is because I indeed provoked him. I shouldn't have made that comment about our parents treating us differently. However big my pride, I may have to apologise to him eventually.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up." She says, almost sighing as her hand comes up to touch my swollen and bruised lip.

"I think you should go to him." I tell her and she frowns at me.

"No, he needs to calm down a little before I go and talk to him."

I want to push her to leave me alone but to be honest, that's not what I really want. She looks at me, "Where's the first aid?"

"What do you need that for? It isn't so bad." I go and look in the mirror and immediately frown.

"Yeah, it definitely is. There's a cut on your cheek." She points out and comes to stand in front of me.

His ring must have did that! He wears this annoying pointed ring that I absolutely hate but I cannot argue that it actually looks good. I tell Diana that I'll go and get the first aid kid and she argues that I should just tell her where it is, so I do. She comes back with a cotton and a ointment in her hand.

"Sit!" She commands and I take a seat on the bed.

She comes to stand in between my legs and puts her finger below my chin, making me look up. Her eyebrows furrow a little as she looks at my cut, and she opens the bottle of ointment, pouring few drops on the cotton and brings it to my skin. I immediately flinch away and she gives me a look.

"It's antibiotic, it will burn a little but well, it will help." She shrugs and I nod.

I almost smile at how she didn't apologise when it burned, like anyone else would have, had they been in her place. She just gave me a look that said 'suck it up'.

"And, stop staring at me." She adds after a second and I roll my eyes.

"Well, if I don't look at your face, there's something else right in front of mine." I tell her and she glares at me.

What does she want? She doesn't want me to stare at her face, well, she definitely will be pissed if I stare at her breast! Having no option, I just close my eyes and feel her skin brush against mine.

"It's done." She says as soon as I feel her warmth stepping away.

I open my eyes and look at her, "Thanks."

She just nods before speaking, "Will you keep this back? I need to go and find Derek."

"Sure." I shrug and she reaches the door when I call for her again, "Diana?"

She turns around with a straight face, "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?" I ask and she scowls at my words.

What am I doing? What do I even need to talk to her about? I have got nothing to say to her after the conversation we had a week before. She looks at me, almost expecting me to start talking but I remain mute as we stare at each other.

"I don't think that's a very good idea." She finally speaks and I look away.

I just give her a small nod before picking up the bottle of ointment and making my way out of the room, leaving her behind.